His batting is phenomenal but how well he kept: Dinesh Karthik heaps praise on ever-improving Rishabh Pant

Rohit Sharma-led Team India produced an emphatic and flawless performance in the first Test versus Sri Lanka in Mohali. Right from the word go, everything clicked for Rohit & Co. as they emerged on top courtesy a massive win, by an innings and 222 runs.

Opting to bat first, India posted 574-8 decl. and dismissed the Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lankans for a paltry 174 and 178 with R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami chipping in with majority of wickets. While Jadeja returned with 175 not out and a nine-wicket haul in the match, Rishabh Pant also continued to grow in stature in whites with an attacking 96 and three vital dismissals behind the stumps. Thus, veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has heaped praise on Pant ahead of the second and final Test between both sides, at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. 

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“His batting is phenomenal and we can speak a lot about that. But I think the hallmark of this Test personally for him would be how well he kept,” said Karthik on Cricbuzz. 

“Pathum Nissanka’s catch was brilliant. Whenever an offspinner bowls into the rough a little bit and the ball is turning in, it is a hard one to take because you never know which one is going to straighten and which one will turn. On top of that if it deviates off the bat it becomes that much harder and that is where I like Pant. His hands were at the right place,” he said. 

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Pant will like to make the most of his form in the series decider, which will be a pink-ball contest. With Indian players set to shift their focus on the forthcoming IPL 2022 edition and then on the T20 World Cup, the 23-year-old will be desperate for another rollicking performance in the red-ball format.